Chain.



J. M. DODGE.

CHAIN.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 6, 1909.

958,676. Patented 113317, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v J. M. DODGE.

CHAIN. v I APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1909. 958,676. Patented May 17, 1910.

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CHAIN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1909.

958,676. Patented May 17, 1910;

a SHEETS-BHEET a.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. DODGE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO LINK-BELT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CHAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 6, 1909. Serial No. 526,536.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. Donor, a citizen of the United States", residing in Philadel hia, Pennsylvania, have invented; certain improvements in Chains, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of my present invention is to economize in the 'manufacture of a chain of this type by forming the se ental rojections on the link inte r'al wlth the ink, forming the said projections from the material punched from the link to form the pivot pin opening. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide an intermediate bearing on the links which will, in conjunction with the segmental pro'ections, space the links apart, so that the si e bearing of one link against another is provided, thus considerably reducing the friction and wear upon the links.

A still further object is to strengthen the link as fully described hereafter.

In the accompanying drav'vingss-Figure 1, is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 11, Fig. 2, of a chain made in accordance with my invention; Fig, 2, is a sectionalplan view on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, is a perspective view of one of the links; Fig. 4, is a side view of one of the hnk blanks; Fig. 5, is a sectional view of the link blank after being struck up; Fi 6, is a sectional view of the link blank a er coining; Fig. 7, is a sectional plan view ofa link. showing a section of chain without the intermediate bearing;'Fig. 8, is a perspective view illustratin one of the links of the chain shown in ig. 7; Fi 9, 10 and 11, are views illustrating mo ification s; Figs. 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, are views illustrating my invention ap lied to. a rocker jointchain; and Fig. 1 is a view showin the extended bearings on both sides of a lin r.

Referring in the first instance to Figs. 1 and 2, A is a link composed of a series of link elements A, and'B is a link composed of a series of link elements B. The number of link elements will vary, according to the width of chain necessary.

4 The linksare coupled together by pivot pins D and these pivot pins are free to rotate in the links and are provided with washers d, d at each end, which overlap the links, and the pins are preferably riveted.

It will be understood that other means of fastening may be resorted to without departing from the essential features of theinvention.

The link elements A and B are identical,

ings a and these hearings are formed of laterally bent portions punched out of the Patented May 17, 1910.

.so that only one set of dies is required in I blank in forming the openingsa and the link element B has similar extended bearings b also formed by laterally extended portions of the blank punched from the openings bi It will be seen by referring to Fig. 2, that these extended bearin s project into the openings of adjoining Ticks and bear upon the pins, giving to their particular links, in the present instance, double the bearing that a hnk without the lateral projections would have.

I preferably so proportion each extended bearin that it will be longer than the thickness 0 the link throu h which it extends, so that when the severafiinks are assembled, as in Fi 2, there will be a clearance between the si es of the adjoining links which have ndependent rotary movement on the pivot, thus eliminating side friction and consequently wear. In some instances, particularly in links of the larger sizes, I preferably form a projection e on each link element, midway between the openin in the link, as illustrated in Fig. 3. This projection is formed by bending up the metal in the space between the which shows a link blank before receivin the final bend. This projection extends pre erably the same distance from the link element as the extended bearings a, b, so that when the links are assembled, as in Fig. 2, they are separated for the purpose described above; thelinks having a three point contact. The side bearings are struck up from the metal of the link in such a manner as to form shoulders which limit the movement of the links on the pins.

The central pro ecting member may be made as shown in lg. 3, by turning up the metal forced from between the teeth of the link, ormay be pressed out from the body of the link, as at 6', Figs. 9 and 10, or the link may have a rib e at the upper edge as in Fig. 11, or have the rib c and the projection 6; in each case the ribs or projections act as stiffening members to strengthen the link and will resist lateral strains or the tendency to bend due to longitudinal strains. In Fig. 12, I have shown my invention as applied to a rocker joint chain, in which the link members A and B have their extended rocker bearings a and b formed by metal forced from the rocker opening and bent, as clearly shown, giving an extended bearing and making the bearing integral with the link element. In this instance the several link elements A are connected by transverse rivets or pins (1 and the link elements B are connected by transverse pins or rivets b.

In Fig. 14, I have shown a modification of a rocker chain in which the pins 6 of the elements 15' pass through slots a in the elements A, and pins a pass through slots b in the elements B The connecting pins are arranged at each side of the rocker joint,

as shown.

-In,Figs. 12 and 13, I have shown each link provided with a rocker member bent up from the metal of the link, but in Fig. 15, I have shown the links A and B as each having an extended bearing a at one end and a punched opening at the other end, with rocker pins 0 inserted as shown, so as to connect successive links; each of said pins extending through the punched openings and bein attached to the link element B in any suita le manner, so as to be capable of rocking upon the extended bearing a".

It will be understood that either the seat surface or the rocker surface may be made in the form of a.- pin separate from the link element; the other contacting surface being integral with its link, and in either case the spindle part may serve as a rivet.

In some instances, as shown in Fi 17, I may form the extended bearing sur ace on both sides of the link by pressing the metal from the opening, partly on one side and partly on the other. This is preferably done cold by the coining process.

I claim p 1. A chain made up of a series of lin elements, each'link element having lateral projections extending through others of said links and of a length greater than the width of the element through which it extends, so that when the link elements are assembled the said lateral projections will space the said elements apart so as to avoid side friction and wear.

2. A chain made up of a seriesof link elements having openings and lateral extensions at the said openings, pivot pins, said extensions forming extended bearings for the pivot (pins and projecting through openings in a oining elements, the said extensions being greater in length thanthe width of the element through which they extend,

so as to space the elements apart to prevent side friction and wear.

3. A chain link element having pivot pin openings, laterally extended bearings, and an intermediate projection of the same length assaid bearings.

4., The combination in a chain of a series of link elements; and means for connecting said elements; each link element having openings adjacent its ends and being provided with lateral projections adjacent said openings; there being a lateral projection at the middle of each link element placed to co-act with a similar projection of an adjacent element.

5. A link element having openings for pivot ins and lateral extensions projecting at rig t angles to the plane of the link element, with an integra projection intermediate said bearings.

6. A chain consisting of a series of link elements, each having lateral projections ex tending through the ad'acent elements and greater in length than t e width of the elements through which they pass, with means for holding the link elements together.

7. A chain link element havingtwo teeth and two pivot openings, lateral integral projections adjacent the openings, and a lateral projection at a point on the link element midway between the teeth.

8. A chain link element consisting of a plate having pivot in holes, lateral projections adjacent said holes, and a lateral projection from one edge of the plate intermediate said holes.

9. A chain consisting of a lurality of link elements, certain of said e ements having. laterally extended bearings projecting into openin in others of said elements, the extension 0 said bearin beyond the sides of their link elements being greater than the thickness of the link elements into which they extend.

10. The combination in a chain of a plurality, of link elements connected together and havin openings, means for connecting the link e ements, certain of said link elements havin lateral projections abutting on other 1i elements and of a' length greater than the thickness of the link elements with which they co-act.

11. The combination in a chain of a plurality of pairs of link elements and means pivotally connecting said pairs of elements, the elements of certain pairs having lateral abutting portions maintaining them at a distance apart geater than the thickness of the pairs of li elements with which they co-act.

12. The combination in a chain of a plurality of links each consisting of a pair of link elements, the elements of alternate links lying outside the elements of the adjoining links, each pair of link elements having openings and lateral projections extending through the openings of the adjoining link elements, said projections being of greater length than the thickness of the elements through which they extend.

13. The combination in a chain of a plu-. rality of links each consisting of a pair of link elements, the elements of alternate links lying outside the elements of the adjoining links, each pair of link elements having openings and lateral projections extending through the openings of the adjoining link elements, said projections being of greater I length than the thickness of the elements 15 through which they extend, with abutting lateral projections on certain of the links intermediate the openings therein.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of 20 two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES M. DODGE.

Witnesses: v

. WM. E. SHUPE,

WM. A. BARR. 

